Had Flown To The Far North Of Queensland To View A Solar Eclipse

A well-known forensic scientist in Australia was fatally injured Thursday when the seaplane he was flying went down as he was returning from the far northern part of the state of Queensland.

Ross Vining was the only person on board the SeaRey Amphibian airplane he had built himself when it went down (similar airplane pictured, not accident aircraft). He had led a group of five aircraft from the state of South Australia to the far north of Queensland to view Wednesday's solar eclipse. He as beginning his journey home when the aircraft went down, according to a report appearing in The Australian.

Professor Vining had been an active member of the Seaplane Pilots Association of Australia, serving as its South Australian coordinator. He had reportedly begun flying seaplanes about six years ago.

Vining reportedly had departed Bamaga Airport at the far northern tip of Queensland en route to Weipa, and a search was launched Thursday when he failed to arrive. The wreckage of the airplane was located Friday.

Vining had been a leader in forensic pathology in Australia. He had been supervising some 300 cold criminal cases that had been on hold while DNA technology and databases were improved.